


Honor & Glory

by StygiusCantus



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Canon Rewrite, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Gen, Novelization, Physical Disability, Retelling, Rewrite, cartoon violence, more characters to be added as time goes on
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-04
Updated: 2020-11-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:00:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 13,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22116034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StygiusCantus/pseuds/StygiusCantus
Summary: Gloria Kellie, a Postwick native with high ambitions and a paralyzed leg who gives more than she lets herself get.Hop Addison, a Postwick native with unending curiosity, desperate to find his place in his older brother's shadow.Bede Ryland, an arrogant challenger fighting for the only person who ever believed in him.Marnie Thornton, a reclusive Spikemuth resident who carries the voices of the entire town on her back.As their paths cross and clash, the four begin to unearth a years-long conspiracy hiding deep within the Galar region. The Royal Family Storam, the collapsed Galar Mine #3, the ancient ruins in a fog-filled forest, the story behind the twin princes of Galar--everything they once thought of as truth will be called into question. The region's darkest day is coming, all while four particular trainers fight for the honor and glory of being Galar's new champion.A rewrite/novelization of Pokemon Shield.
Comments: 18
Kudos: 69





	1. Spring

_“Ladies and gentlemen, as chairman of the Galar Pokémon League, it is my great honor to introduce to you…”_

Those words would be played all across the Galar region for days, as nearly each and every citizen would tune in to the Championship rematch, and later replay the recorded video over and over again. Spring was upon the Galar region, and Dragon-type leader Raihan wanted to take the last opportunity that he could to overthrow undefeated Champion, Leon. Though most in the audience already knew the outcome, the two Trainers never failed to make their battles a spectacle. Gigantamaxing, witty banter, animated reactions from Raihan and Leon--the two of them knew how to give it their all for the sake of their teams and for the crowd.

It would be their last match for some time; after all, the Gym Challenge was about to begin.

\---

“You’ve got everythin’ set?”

“Yes, m’fine.”

“Just want to make sure…”

“I’m goin’ to be fine, Piers.”

With Morpeko sitting on her shoulder, Marnie finished packing the rest of her things. Brushes, clothes, extra accessories, couple books, charger… All was accounted for. Marnie zipped up her backpack and slung it over her free shoulder. Piers leaned against a wall, striped hair hanging in his face.

“Still hard to believe… My own little sister is off for the Gym Challenge.”

Marnie stopped, turning her usual blank expression towards her brother. There was something in his tone that made her raise a brow, though she couldn’t decipher it herself. What was it? Exhaustion, perhaps? Marnie was well aware of Piers’ wish for her to inherit the gym. But yet… no, that didn’t feel right. That wasn’t what was bothering her.

“Yeah. And I’m goin’ to come back Champion.”

Piers gave her an empty smile before handing her an envelope, dirtied slightly by the sheer grime and grit of Spikemuth. Marnie approached him and took it, keeping it tightly gripped in her hand.

“I know you are. You better hurry and get to the train. It’s a long ride to Motostoke.”

Marnie nodded, and paused a moment to look at the letter of endorsement in her hand before she threw her arms around Piers. Piers stumbled a bit, eyes wide, before he gently hugged her back.

“You’re going to do great, Marn.” When the embrace broke, Piers smiled again, but this one had a spark of life to it. (Morpeko also got pets from Piers.) “Better not see you again until you’ve got six badges, got it?”

“You forgot the openin’ ceremony, Piers. An’ then I’m goin’ to take you down.” Marnie’s lips quirked into a small smile as she adjusted her backpack. “Alright, sinabit.”

Keeping her head held high, Marnie strode towards the main exit to Spikemuth, the warehouse shutter wide open like the gaping maw of a whale. This was the last time she would leave Spikemuth as Marnie, a girl who was rather unremarkable; she was going to come back Champion. She swore it to herself the moment she heard that the Gym Challenge registration was open.

Piers watched her go, and when she was finally out of sight, he slid down the wall to the ground, looking corpse-like in the bright neon lights. It was like Marnie had taken the last spark of life of his with her, leaving a hollow husk behind. However strong Piers knew that Marnie was, to know his little sister, his only family, was out there, alone…

“Piers?”

Piers lifted his head to see a couple of his Gym Trainers standing over him, their faces sympathetic and concerned. One of the girls knelt down in front of him.

“Y’alright, there?”

Piers was silent a moment, before an idea struck. “... I need you guys to do something for me.”

\---

“... and then, once you become Champion, we will begin. Understood?”

Bede nodded, his violet eyes flaring with determination. “Yes, Ms. Oleana. I’ll do everything I can to prove myself to the chairman!”

Oleana nodded in return, satisfied. “Good. Here.” She gestured for his hand, and when Bede extends his arm, Oleana put a black-and-white band on his wrist. “This is yours.”

Bede’s eyes widened, and his voice hushed in awe. “A Dynamax Band?”

“Not just any Dynamax Band. See this blue stripe?” She tapped the end of the band with a sharpened nail, the tip pointing at an arrow, dead center. “Twist it around three times to the left. It will click with each complete turn.”

Seeing Oleana’s expectant gaze, Bede turned the blue stripe as instructed. _Click. Click. Click._ On the last turn, a column of red light rose from the screen. “What is…?”

“This uses the same type of technology as the Box Link. Hold up a Wishing Star to this light, and it will store it in a private Macro Cosmos storage system. Keeps your hands free.”

“I… thank you, Ms. Oleana. I’ll take good care of it.”

“I hope you will, Bede. This is one-of-a-kind. We can’t afford to replace it due to your carelessness.”

Careless. He was always careless, as Oleana was quick to remind him at any opportunity. “I won’t be careless. I can assure you of that. No pick of the chairman’s would ever be so careless.”

“Good. We will see you in Motostoke after the opening ceremony.”

Bede nodded. “And then I’ll rid of the competition and take the Champion title for myself.”

Oleana nodded in return, and she turned and began to walk away… before she stopped.

“Bede.”

There was something in her tone that made Bede’s blood freeze. (Always her, it was _always_ Oleana who made him feel like that.) “Y--yes, Ms. Oleana?”

“I do not believe I need to tell you this, but… speak of this to no one.” Bede was suddenly very aware of the Macro Cosmos staff standing behind him, guarding the door to Oleana’s office, drilling holes into his back with their stares.

“Of course. This is stays between us.”

“Good. The chairman chose you for a reason, Bede. I hope you’ll live up to his expectations.”

“I will. I won’t let him down.”

Oleana was silent a moment. “Let us hope you do not. Now, you best be off. The train to Motostoke will be leaving soon.”

“Yes, Ms. Oleana.”

Bede found himself walking just a bit too fast back toward the office door, and he let out a shaky breath upon closing the door behind him.

Next to him, there was a sound of a Poké Ball opening, and suddenly a little chirp rang through the air. Bede tilted his head, looking down at his now-freed Hatenna.

“Now what are _you_ doing out?” Bede bent down and scooped up Hatenna in his arms, which proceeded to press itself against his chest. Instantly, Bede felt cold dread fill his chest--not his own, but Hatenna’s. “Come off it, now - we’ve been chosen by the chairman for this task. He believes - no, he _knows_ we’re strong enough to take down the Champion, and anyone else who gets in our way!”

Hatenna whined a moment, uncertain, before Bede gently patted her head.

“I know you’re worried… But we won’t fail. We _can’t_ fail. We’re going to help the chairman save Galar, and nobody is going to get in our way.”

There was a moment of silence, before Bede felt a rush of confidence emitting from Hatenna. She bounced in his arms with excited cries. A smile appeared on Bede’s lips before it grew into a smirk.

“Let’s go.”

\---

Today was the day. It _had_ to be. 

Hop nearly poked himself in the eye three times while combing his hair up and out of his face, but he was simply shaking from sheer excitement. Lee said he was coming home today! It was always exciting whenever Lee visited home, of course, but today was special. Hop could feel it. Lee always brought gifts when he visited, and something in Hop’s gut told him that these gifts were going to be big.

These gifts weren’t just for him, either; Lee was also bringing some for Gloria! Lee always brought gifts for Gloria--on days where she had to cancel last-minute because of physical therapy appointments (or even one year, a cardiologist appointment), he would always call Gloria’s mum and tell her that he was leaving the gift at their door, and to tell Gloria he’s sorry he missed her. But today, there weren’t any appointments, and Gloria hadn’t called off because of pain, causing Hop to almost vibrate with anticipation. A day of just him, his best friend, and his brother…

A small cry pulled him out of his thoughts, and he felt a slight tugging at his shirt. Wooloo had snuck into the bathroom, bitten onto his shirt, and now was pulling towards the door, baa-ing again once Hop looked down at him. Hop grinned and knelt down to face Wooloo before using both hands to scratch behind Wooloo’s ears.

“Alright, alright, I’m going! C’mon, then, let’s go get Gloria!”

Wooloo smiled and baa-ed again in contentment. Hop rushed down the stairs, Wooloo hot on his heels, before he came to a sharp stop at the bottom step. (Poor Wooloo bumped into his calves.) His jaw dropped in shock, before he swiftly grinned again at seeing the figure standing in the door next to his mum.

“Lee!”

Leon would find himself talking to his mother one second, and then being slammed into by a small body the next. He staggered backwards from the force of the hug, but managed to keep himself standing. Leon laughed before hugging his brother in return.

“Hey, there! How’s my ‘number one fan in all the world’ doing?” Leon grinned and ruffled Hop’s hair.

“Oh, come off it!” Hop, grinning as well, swatted Leon’s hand away. Hop had _very_ frequently insisted that he was Leon’s biggest fan when they were younger, and while that still held true, Leon would never let him live down ‘number one fan in all the world.’ “And what about _you,_ Lee? I’m surprised you managed to make it here without getting lost!”

“Come on, I’m not _that_ bad, am I? It’s a straight line from the station to here!” Leon scratched the back of his head, his sheepish gaze flickering off to the side. He wasn’t exactly _good_ with directions. (He’ll never forget how mortified he was when he misread the boards and accidentally boarded a flight to _Johto_ instead of _Sinnoh_ and realized that halfway through the trip there.)

Their mother, watching the exchanged, laughed and hugged her sons. “Alright, you two. Why don’t you go get Gloria? I’ll set up things for the barbeque while you’re gone.”

“Right!” Hop broke out of the embrace and tugged at Leon’s arm, pulling him toward the door. (Wooloo baa-ed and rolled out of the door in the meantime.) “Come on, come on! Keep up, Lee!”

\----

_“Charizard, Max Rockfall!”_

_“Dodge it, Flygon!”_

_With a mighty roar, Gigantamax Charizard stamped its foot down, and a massive slab of rock burst from the ground, tall as a skyscraper. Flygon flew backwards as fast as it could to avoid the rock, but Charizard wasn’t about to let it fall. Instead, Charizard curled a hand into a fist, and threw its fist through the rock slab. It shattered with a loud_ boom! _, and pieces began to rain down on Flygon._

_“Unbelievable, folks!” The announcer slammed his palms on the table, about to jump out of his chair in excitement. The crowd mirrored his energy and amplified it, screaming out and cheering. “Leon’s Charizard turned that rock into a small meteor shower!”_

_Visibly worried, Flygon bobbed and weaved through the shower of boulders. A few sharp rocks dug into its body, but Flygon powered through. The ground shook with the impact of the boulders, the dirt of the battlefield being churned up into dust clouds. Dodge, dodge, dodge,_ THWACK!

_“FLYGON!” Raihan’s screams were barely heard over the crashing of the rocks and the gasps of the crowd. A rock had slammed right into Flygon’s back, sending it directly to the ground in a cloud of dust. The crowd’s cheers hushed to anticipatory whispers._

_Silence followed as the dust began to settle, the battlefield becoming visible again. One of the boulders shook and shifted, with Flygon clawing at the dirt to pull itself out from beneath it. But, once it was freed, it collapsed onto the ground._

_“And Flygon is out, ladies and gentlemen! That was Raihan’s last Pokémon!” The crowd erupted in screams, some in joy, some in outrage. Raihan sighed and returned Flygon to its Poké Ball, before he grinned and took a quick selfie with his Rotom phone. Gigantamax Charizard shrunk, and shrunk, until it was once more a normal Charizard._

_“And that concludes match, everybody! With Leon having knocked out Raihan’s last Pokémon, he remains Galar’s undefeated Champion! But don’t discredit Raihan’s attempts, either, since he managed to knock out all but one of Leon’s team! Could we be seeing a new Champion taking the throne? With the Gym Challenge beginning in the coming week, who knows who could be Champion?”_

“Gloria!”

Gloria, splayed across her bed with her head hanging off the edge, nearly dropped her phone on her face as her mother barged into her room. “God, ma, could ye _knock?_ ” Gloria sounded tired; mostly because she _was_ tired, almost always. 

Her ma put a hand on her hip, her stare turning disapproving. “Did ye forget what today was? Hop and Leon are here already!”

Suddenly Gloria was _very_ alert. She shot up and twisted herself around to face her ma upright. “Shit, really? They’re here already?!”

“Yes! Now hurry up and get yer things!” Her ma shut the door again, and Gloria groaned. She didn’t realize what time it was! She thought she had _some_ time to watch last night’s match. At least she already got dressed, mostly… Gloria strapped on her boots (once she was sure that her leg brace was secure) before fishing around beneath her bed for her cane. (Blasted thing was always falling over.) It took a few moments of flailing her arm about, but she soon managed to grab the hardwood cane and stand with its assistance. 

_Okay, okay, things, things…_ Hat, check. Bag, check. Lucy’s Poké Ball, check. Cane - wait, where was her--?! _Oh, fuck me, you’re holding it, dumbass._

Gloria, after double and triple checking that she had everything she needed, slowly walked out of her room to the sound of light chatter from the living room. Seemed like today was a good day for her right leg--she could actually feel some of it and walk on it a bit. Her cane _click-clack-clicked_ on the wooden floor, making her entrance rather obvious.

The living room was small and quaint; it was perfect for only Gloria, her ma, and their couple Pokémon.

Hop, on the couch next to Leon, grinned wide and jumped to his feet. “There you are, mate!”

Gloria giggled and jabbed Hop lightly with her elbow. “Well, nice to see ye too, Hop.” Dark eyes turned to Leon, and her grin grew. “Leon! How goes?”

Leon stood up and hugged Gloria in greeting. “Hey, Gloria! Been a long while.” The mix of accents in the room was a bit staggering. Leon had adopted the more posh tone one would find in Wyndon over the years, while Hop’s was a bit of a mix of both Postwick’s and central Galar’s sounds. Gloria and her ma, meanwhile, both had strong Postwick accents, with hints of central Galar poking through. “That a new cane?”

“Oh, this?” She flicked her head toward the cane. Metal, dark purple, sleek and shiny, and topped with a small figure of a Crobat. “Aye, ma got it for me. Last Christmas, I think. That right, ma?”

Her ma tilted her head, brow furrowing a moment. “Think so? Most I know is that ever since I got ye that, ye haven’t let it go since!”

“Because Crobats are wicked cool, ma.”

“Well, regardless of when you got it, I’m glad you like it so much!” Still talking, Leon headed toward the door. “Come on, then! I’ve got something I want to show you!”

Hop’s eyes shined with excitement. “Ooh! Did you bring us Pokémon, Lee? I bet you did!”

“Why don’t we head out so you can see for yourself?” Leon waved at Gloria’s ma as he walked out the door. “Be seeing you, Mrs. Kellie!”

Gloria sighed and shook her head. “Good god, both of ye slow down, why don’t ye!” She turned to her ma and pushed herself up on one foot to kiss her on the cheek goodbye. “I’ll be back, ma.”

Her ma smiled and kissed her head in return. “Have fun, sweetie. And be careful out there, ye hear? Don’t want a repeat of last time.”

“Oi, it isn’t my fault that Hop nearly got his head kicked off by that Mudsdale!”

\----

Postwick was small and quiet--perfect for Gloria. Cultivated fields and green pastures spread far and wide, an endless expanse of abundant life. The bray of Mudsdale as they pulled along cultivators and the gentle ‘baa’s of Wooloo were the only real noises that filled the air, with the occasional flitting of a small flock of Rookidee joining. Postwick was a farming town, through and through, though most of their crop yield went straight back to the community, unlike somewhere bigger like Turffield. The town only had about fifty people maximum. The only thing of note was the dense, dark forest right next to the Kellie home: the Slumbering Weald. Rumors floated around about a mythical Pokémon sleeping in the heart of the forest, though the mist was so thick within that no one could confirm or deny it. But other than that, Postwick was a rather ordinary town.

The Addison home was a rather large townhouse, something that Leon was more than able to afford for his family. A large tree, a small pond, and a miniature battlefield hugged the roadside wall, all pulled together by a mossy stone fence. When the trio arrived at Hop and Leon’s home, their mother, Mrs. Addison, was preparing the barbecue in the side yard. She greeted Gloria warmly, and the two chatted for a bit while Mrs. Addison got set up.

Hop, meanwhile, wasn’t about to let their previous topic go. “Come on, Lee! Show us!”

Leon laughed and waved a hand at him. “Okay, okay. Alright - come on out, everybody!”

He grabbed three Poké Balls from his hip and tossed them into the air. Gloria halted mid-sentence and twisted around to see the commotion, and her jaw dropped. (She gave Mrs. Addison a slight wave of apology, and Mrs. Addison reassured her with a light smile.)

One, two, three different creatures popped out of the Poké Balls. One was a monkey in various shades of green and brown, with tiny fangs and a stick attached to the hair on its head. Another was a white-and-orange bunny with (what appeared to be) a bandage on its nose and a rounded snaggletooth. The last was a blue lizard with a protruding yellow fin and wide blue eyes.

“Allow me to introduce you,” Leon began, “to Grooky, Scorbunny, and Sobble!” When each of their names was spoken, the Pokémon each made a little chirp and hopped in place. “The Grass-, Fire-, and Water-type Pokémon!”

Now free from their Poké Balls, the three Pokémon immediately began to explore the area, with Grooky climbing the tree and Sobble leaping into the pond. Scorbunny chirped again and ran around in circles on the battlefield, its feet leaving burning steps behind. Grooky climbed up toward a Sitrus Berry in a tree before taking the stick out of its hair and _knock-knock-knock_ -ing on it like a woodblock. Sobble poked its head out of the water and spit out a small spout before swimming around.

Gloria and Hop gave each other a look of pure elation, mouths open and eyes wide. Hop looked like he was about to burst out of his own skin as he bounced on his feet.

“I knew it! I knew you were bringing us Pokémon! And they’re so cute, too!” 

“And - they’re for _us?”_

Leon, beaming, nodded. “That’s right! I wanted to give both of you a Pokémon of your own--ones you can’t find anywhere else! I know you have Wooloo, Hop, but another addition to your team won’t hurt!”

Sobble floated on its back in the water, idly creating small spouts of water. One of these spouts, however, went a bit wayward, and arced down towards Scorbunny. It screeched as the water hit its head, and it hopped around, trying to shake the water off of it. Bounce, bounce, bounce--until it bounced too high and hit its head on the branch Grooky was on. Grooky jumped, startled, and the Sitrus Berry fell off of the branch and directly into the pool of water, right behind Sobble.

Sobble cried out in fear, and jumped straight out of the pool, teary-eyed--and it began to rocket toward the yard’s exit.

Leon shot out a hand. “Wait, Sobble, come back!” But his cries did nothing to stop Sobble from taking itself and its little legs away from the (perceived) danger, and it shot right towards the forest.

Hop gasped. “It’s headed for the Slumbering Weald!” He and Gloria shared looks of concern; neither of them were allowed inside, as per their parents’ rules.

Scorbunny, wilting with guilt, suddenly sprung up and raced after Sobble. Grooky clambered down the tree trunk and followed after.

“Scorbunny! Grooky!” Leon gave the kids a stern look. “Wait here. I’m going to go get them!”

Hop’s brow furrowed, and his hands tightened into fists. “Lee, you can’t go in there alone!”

“You two need to stay here, it’s too dangerous in there!”

“It’s dangerous for you, too, Lee!”

“Who’s the Champion here?”

“Champion or not, it’s still--”

“Oh shut yer gobs, both of ye!” Both Leon and Hop snapped their heads towards Gloria, who was already making her way to the exit. “If the two of ye are just going to stand there and yammer on all afternoon, _I’ll_ go after them!” She plucked a Poké Ball from her own belt and tossed it in the air.

Lucy the Machamp sprung forth, dressed in the black-and-pink gloves that signified her as a service Pokémon. As usual, Lucy carefully picked up Gloria in her arms, and Gloria, now gripping on to her cane’s middle, pointed towards the Slumbering Weald.

“Some Pokémon ran off that way! We need to go get ‘em!” Oh, her ma was going to _kill her_ for this. But every second spent bickering was a second wasted, and if there _was_ something dangerous in that forest, then those Pokémon would need every second they could get. So if her ma was going to yell at her for pulling this stunt, then at least it would be worth it if those Pokémon were safe.

Hop and Leon were not as keen about the idea.

“Gloria--!”

“Gloria, don’t--!”

Lucy grunted in affirmation, and she took off before Hop and Leon could say another word.

Hop growled in frustration (or was it worry?). “Gloria, _wait!”_ He rushed after Lucy, with a harried Leon following after.

All three would disappear from sight, now in the mist-filled woods of the Slumbering Weald.


	2. Endless Sleep

Gloria had lived in Postwick her entire life, and she had only heard of one person ever entering the Slumbering Weald. According to Hop, it was the regional professor’s granddaughter, and she came back “in a state.” No one could ever give Gloria details of what happened to her, and the vagueness just served to allow Gloria’s imagination fill in the gaps.

But her dark daydreams about the Slumbering Weald weren’t even close to the real thing.

It wasn’t dark; but lord, it was foggy. It was like someone had painted over Gloria’s eyes with white, and now she could barely see more than a few feet in front of her. Trees stretched up high, now just regaining their leaves after the winter--the bare branches reached up into the air, clawing at the sky. The rustling of grass and the chittering of Pokemon echoed off of the tree trunks, here one moment and gone the next. No matter how quickly she turned to find the source, nothing was ever there. Cautiously, Gloria pat Lucy’s chest.

“Doin’ alright there, girl?”

Lucy gave another grunt--’yes.’ 

Crunch, crunch, crunch went the grass under Lucy’s feet as she jogged through the weald. Gloria’s head swiveled around, looking and listening for any sign of the Pokemon.

Then she remembered.

“Ah - wait, Lucy!” Lucy came to a halt as Gloria pointed toward the ground. “Scorbunny leaves fire wherever it walks--look for burned patches on the ground!” Lucy nodded, and she continued through the grass, slower this time. She suddenly began to walk faster, and Gloria caught glimpses of black footprints on the ground.

The further they walked, the more they began to hear something… wailing? It became clear that whatever was crying was at the end of the footprint trail, and Gloria had a feeling as to who--or what--might be doing that. Her hunch was confirmed when Lucy finally came upon a tree, where Sobble, Scorbunny, and Grooky were. Scorbunny was hopping anxiously from one foot to another, calling up to Sobble and Grooky, who were up in the tree. Sobble was, true to its name, crying as it clung to the branch, and Grooky was trying to comfort it to no avail. 

“There ye are.” Scorbunny jumped slightly at the new voice, but then cried out and pointed up at Sobble, still bouncing in place. Gloria looked up, and then gripped her cane tighter. “Lucy, I have an idea. Get me over there.” Lucy complied, and Gloria whistled sharply to get Sobble’s attention. 

“Hey!” She kept her tone soft as she called up. “Sobble--are ye stuck up there? We’re going to get ye down, okay?” Sobble hiccuped and blinked through its tears to look down at Gloria, but seeing how far down the ground was just made it burst into tears again. Gloria’s heart cracked hearing it. 

“Hey, hey… Hold on, Sobble, I’ve got ye… Lucy, lift me up, I’m going to use my cane.” Lucy once more complied, and Gloria took her cane by the end and lifted it up, hooking the handle on the tree branch a little ways away from Sobble. Sobble tensed at the sudden movement, but relaxed somewhat upon seeing that there was no danger. Grooky, smiling warmly, gently nudged Sobble towards the cane. Sobble gave Grooky a look of uncertainty, but soon swallowed and carefully inched its way toward the cane. 

Gloria grinned. “That’s it - ye’ve got this, Sobble!” Scorbunny, now at Lucy’s feet, jumped and cheered for Sobble. That seemed to give Sobble a small confidence boost, enough to crawl over to the handle. Grooky stayed close to Sobble, watching it in case of a slip-up. Slowly, slowly Sobble reached out to grab onto the cane, one foot at a time.

“That’s the way, Sobble… Yer almost there...” Sobble’s little feet carried it cautiously down the cane, and Gloria’s grin grew wider the closer it got. When Sobble finally got within arm’s reach of her, she reached out her other hand and scooped it up. (It resisted a bit, at first, but let go once it realized that it was safe.)

“There ye are, Sobble!” Gloria cradled Sobble in her arm--poor thing was trembling. “Ye did amazing, Sobble.” As Gloria lifted her cane up again to unhook it, Grooky ran back down the tree onto the ground next to the now-happily bouncing Scorbunny. Lucy lowered Gloria back to her normal carrying position “Aw… Yer okay now, Sobble, yer okay…” Gloria wiped away Sobble’s tears with her thumb, and Sobble sniffled as it looked up at her. Seeing her bright smile made Sobble smile in return.

“Gloria!” Bursting out of the bushes, huffing and puffing, was Hop, his hair a mess (with a couple twigs poking out). Sobble jumped and hid its face against Gloria. “Bloody hell, Gloria, you think you can slow down for a bit?!”

“Well, ye and Leon were too busy yappin’, so  _ someone  _ had to go find the Pokemon!” Gloria huffed and gently pet Sobble’s head in an attempt to calm it down. “Poor Sobble got stuck up in a tree. Who knows what could have happened?” Her brow suddenly furrowed, and she looked around. “Speakin’ of, did Leon not follow ye?”

“Wait--” Hop spun around, before grabbing his head. “Oh shit - Lee! We must have gotten separated somehow!”

Gloria sighed. “Great. Come on, then, we better go find him before the Mandibuzz get him.”

Hop laughed, but there’s a clear nervous edge to it. “Knowing him, he’ll get so lost he’ll end up back at the entrance!”

Gloria gave a reassuring smile, and then pats Lucy’s chest again. “Alright, girl, set me down, would ye?” Carefully Lucy sets Gloria down and helps stabilize her on the ground. Only when Gloria is safely standing with her cane, Sobble held in her other arm, does Gloria smile up at Lucy, tell her “Thank ye,” and return the Machamp to her Poke Ball. (Hop put the Poke Ball back in her bag for her.)

“Alright then - Let’s go find yer brother.”

“Y--yeah…”

Scorbunny seemed to notice Hop’s nervousness, and it bounces up to him and chirps happily. Hop smiled and bent down to pet Scorbunny’s head.

“Thanks. Okay, Scorbunny, Grooky--Gloria, you got Sobble?”

Gloria chuckled and looked down at Sobble, who was contentedly nestled in her arm. “Aye. He seems pretty happy here, actually!”

Hop and Gloria slowly began their trek through the forest. Scorbunny and Grooky stayed at Hop’s side, while Sobble slowly but surely calmed in Gloria’s arm. The two were quiet as they walked, listening for Leon (or, perhaps, something less benign), until Hop brushed his fingers through his hair.

“Hey, Gloria?”

Gloria tilted her head. “Yeah?”

“Don’t just… run off into danger alone like that again. Threw me into a tizzy, it did. What if you got hurt?”

Gloria shrugged. “I didn’t, though, did I?”

“But you could have! And I would never know!”

“Ye two kept barkin’ at each other while these little ones were off on their own. I had to do something.”

“Well… then wait for me next time?” Hop grinned a bit (as he pulled a twig from his hair). “If you’re going to run off into danger, let’s run into it together!”

Gloria returned his grin. “Ye know? That sounds like a good plan to me. Long as ye agree to it, too.”

Hop folded his arms behind his head, his usual wide and cheerful gin returning full force. “It’s a deal, then!”

The further they went into the Slumbering Weald, the thicker the fog got. Instead of being like a coat of white paint, it was more like the two had been submerged in a pool of it, now wading through it to try and get to the other side. Any noise they made while walking seemed to be absorbed by the fog. It got to the point where Grooky climbed up on Hop’s shoulder, and Hop himself knelt down to scoop up Scorbunny to make sure they didn’t lose each other.

Hop eventually dared to speak up. “Lee…?”

"Can’t see a damn thing in here…” Gloria kept her movements slow, trying to watch out for any dips in the dirt, or roots poking through. Where was Leon? “Maybe we should turn around, before we get lost ourselves… We’ll probably run into Leon on our way.”

“Y-yeah… he probably just--” Hop came to an abrupt halt, and his voice hushed to a whisper. “... What was that?”

Gloria stopped when Hop did, and she strained to listen.

_ Crunch. Crunch. Rustle, rustle, rustle. _

Footsteps. Coming towards them, growing louder and louder--

Until they heard a  _ howl. _

It was unlike anything either of them had ever heard before. It sounded otherworldly, more like a bird warbling, and yet it chilled them to the bone. They spun around to face the source, and both Hop and Gloria  _ screamed. _

It was a wolf--a gigantic wolf that easily dwarfed them. Its pelt was the color of rust and addled with scars. Blue fur plumed from the top of its head like a knight’s feather. One of its ears was missing the tip. But of most note was its eyes: pure yellow eyes glowed and pierced through the fog.

And it had its sights set on them.

“Shit - we need to get out,  _ now!” _ Gloria held Sobble closer to her body as she turned to try and go. But it became swiftly apparent that running wasn’t an option--Gloria  _ couldn’t _ run.

Scorbunny wriggled free from Hop’s arms and stood between the wolf and the human duo, and it glared up at the wolf, as if daring it to come any closer.

Hop gasped. “Scorbunny! What are you doing?!” 

Scorbunny shouted at the wolf, and a few waves of sound became visible and traveled towards it--Scorbunny was using Growl. It was actually trying to _fight it!_ But the sound waves rippled and distorted when they got to the wolf; in fact, it seemed as if the waves went right  _ through _ the wolf.

" What the…?!” Hop, after barely a moment of hesitation, steeled himself and yelled, “Scorbunny! Try attacking it!” Scorbunny chirped in agreement before launching itself at the wolf with a Tackle, but the wolf merely shimmered as Scorbunny flew through it as though it was air. Scorbunny’s jaw dropped in shock, before it once more tried to Tackle it. Same result, only this time, poor Scorbunny landed at Hop’s feet. The whole time, the wolf just stood there, its gaze fixed on Gloria and Hop.

“We can’t fight this thing!” Gloria was torn between slowly trying to make her way out and staying to protect Hop and the Pokemon. “We have to  _ go, _ Hop!”

Hop snatched Scorbunny off of the ground and began to back up. Grooky hide its face in the crook of Hop’s neck.

The wolf howled again, and its body began to dissolve into ticker, denser fog. Visibility was already low, but now, Gloria and Hop couldn’t see each other while standing barely a foot apart.

“I can’t see--Gloria?!”

“I’m right next to ye, Hop! Can’t fucking see…!”

Suddenly Gloria began to cough, and it seemed like her bones had turned to lead. Sobble, too, began to cough, followed by Hop, Scorbunny, and Grooky. It was like the fog started to permeate her brain, clouding her mind. Something shifted around her...

Oh. When did she end up on the ground? She couldn’t get up, she couldn’t  _ move, _ everything was just so  _ heavy, _ her body, her head, her eyelids...

And everything

went

dark.


	3. Clockwork

_ Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. _

The days were starting to blend together.

_ Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. _

Each one got duller and duller.  


_ Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. _

Sonia tapped the desk rhythmically with her pen, staring at the hastily scribbled notes she had taken earlier that day. Not that they were anything interesting; it was some observations on the Barraskewda in the lake next to her gran’s home. In fact, it was her gran who had asked her to do that. God, she felt ridiculous.  _ ‘What did you do today, Sonia?’ ‘Oh, I just stared at fish for thirteen hours.’ _

Sonia had to wonder if her gran was just giving her the work that she didn’t want to do. Busy work, ‘common’ work, work that was just  _ beneath _ Gran. Working her ass off while Gran just sipped tea all day.

She groaned and ran a hand through her hair, down and free of their normal heart clips. No, no, that wasn’t fair to say. Gran couldn’t do much field work anymore, with her age and her joint problems. It wasn’t fair to blame her for that. And Gran kept hard at work trying to discover the inner workings of Dynamaxing. But Sonia couldn’t help but feel shafted. Gran gave her such boring tasks, day after day, and she was starting to wonder if Gran was doing it on purpose.

Observe Wooloo flocking patterns. Observe the burrowing habits of Zigzagoon. Test how strong a Chewtle’s bite was. She can’t remember which day she did what. 

_ Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. _

Sometimes she felt like Gran didn’t trust her--didn’t think she was capable enough to do more involved work. That she wasn’t  _ good _ enough to do more serious work.

_ Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. _

She used to be Sonia Magnolia, number 094 in Galar's Gym Challenge. She used to be that up-and-coming Trainer who gave the prodigy, Leon, a run for his money. She used to be that fiery competitor who put Kabu into the ground without losing a single team member, something that was unheard of. She used to be on track to the finals. Powerful, confident, skilled,  _ worth something. _

At least, until she lost to Leon. Badly. She turned over her uniform the next day.

Now she was the professor’s granddaughter. The professor’s assistant. The one who took care of boring, menial tasks. It didn’t matter who she used to be; nobody remembered. Not even Leon seemed to take her seriously anymore. It was all just fun and games now, wasn’t it? He never even realized what that defeat did to her.

_ “Yap! Yap!” _

Suddenly a form wriggled onto her lap from under the desk, and Sonia looked down to see Yamper settling itself on her legs. She chuckled, and scritched Yamper behind the ears.

“Hey there.” 

Yamper barked and panted, its little lightning bolt tail wagging back and forth. No matter where she went, Yamper followed. She was rather grateful for that.

_ Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.  
_

At least someone believed in her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whee just wanted to put in a lil chapter here w/ sonia, also she makes me Sad


	4. Sunset

The first thing Gloria felt when she started to come to was something cold and dry pressing against her face.

Gloria grumbled as the fog cleared from her brain, and she cracked her eyes open. She was on the ground, half of her face pressed into the cool grass of the forest floor. A shadow loomed over her face, but seeing that she was awake, it jumped back and stopped kneading her cheek. Sobble crouched down and whined quietly, big eyes watery and worried. 

“Sobble…?” Sobble’s eyes lit up hearing her speak, and it smiled and squeaked. Gloria returned Sobble’s smile with a slight one of her own, and she lifted a hand (it felt so heavy, like she hadn’t moved in forty hours) to gently pet Sobble on the head.

“Ugh…” That was Hop’s voice--something shifted out of the corner of Gloria’s eye, and Hop, also on the ground, raised his head. Scorbunny and Grooky, which had been hovering over Hop, chirped happily and bounced in place. “What… happened?”

“Hop?” Slowly, Gloria pulled herself up to a sitting position.

“Gloria?” Hop pushed himself up, and then scrambled to his feet. “Shit - Gloria, are you okay?”

“Tired as hell, but alright otherwise. And what about ye?”

"I'm okay, don't worry."

Gloria looked around the area as her senses sharpened. She, Hop, and the Pokémon had been moved to some kind of clearing in the forest. Her cane was surprisingly close to her, and she rolled over to grab it. Hop was quick to help her stand; the tip of her cane sunk into the soft earth, but she still kept her balance. “Where are we?”

“Dunno - still in the Slumbering Weald.” Hop raised his arms above his head and stretched. “What even happened? I’ve never seen anything like that before!”

“Was it a Pokémon?”

“Maybe - there were always stories about a mysterious Pokémon hidden in here, but I never thought it was real…” Golden eyes glitter with excitement, and Hop’s lips split into a grin. “We might have just seen something legendary, Gloria!”

“Ye would think somethin’ legendary would drop us off a little more gracefully.” Gloria huffed and brushed bits of grass from her hair.

“Hop! Gloria!” Out from the fog a voice called, and a misty figure rushed towards them. The figure quickly morphed into Leon, looking haggard. “There you two are! What were you thinking?!” Hop and Gloria wilted slightly beneath Leon’s angered gaze. “You two could have gotten seriously hurt! You can’t just--”

Leon’s scolding was cut off as Scorbunny hopped up in front of him, and Leon caught it on reflex. Grooky and Sobble both bounced up to join Scorbunny, and Leon looked down at their pleading eyes.

“You found the Pokémon?” Said Pokémon chirped in response. Leon met their eyes, and he sighed. “... Don’t do that again, okay? Running off like that can lead to serious danger. But I should thank you for keeping the Pokémon safe.” Cue the three Pokémon cheering within Leon’s arms. “Come on - let’s get out of here.”

As they slowly made their way towards the exit, Hop excitedly recounted their experience deep in the Slumbering Weald--the fog, the mysterious wolf, the wolf creating mist. Sobble jumped from Leon’s arm back onto Gloria’s shoulder; with a bit of maneuvering, Sobble returned to being cradled in Gloria’s arm. Scorbunny took to bouncing by Hop’s side, before Hop scooped up Scorbunny and carried it as well.

\---

The rest of the day passed without incident. Mrs. Addison had everything for the barbecue ready by the time the trio had returned, and by the time the merrymaking was over, the sun had begun to set in the west. The smell of smoky foods still hung in the air as they began to clean up. 

“So,” Leon began as Gloria threw away the last bits of trash, “I guess you two have picked out your partners, eh?”

Sobble, who had been glued to Gloria’s side ever since they got back to the Addison house, looked up at Gloria expectantly. Gloria smiled down at Sobble. 

“I think he more picked  _ me _ , Leon.”

Sobble smiled back and squeaked in joy. Gloria felt her chest warm--was this what it was like, to have a Pokémon of her very own? There was her father’s Munchlax, of course, but it wasn’t a Pokémon that was  _ hers, _ one that  _ she _ connected with and that connected with her in return. There was a clear connection, however, between her and Sobble, one forged by the two of them alone.

“Yeah - I think Scorbunny picked me rather than the other way around!” Scorbunny sat on a grinning Hop’s shoulder, and it pumped a paw in the air and cheered. Hop spun around to face Gloria, eyes glowing with excitement. “You know what this means, Gloria? We’ve got to have a Pokémon battle!”

Gloria’s face fell, and suddenly the bags under her eyes were much more prominent. “What, now? Our adventure earlier just wasn’t enough for ye?”

“Come on, Gloria! We both have Pokémon now, so we should have a battle!”

“I’m completely  _ wiped, _ Hop. We can have one tomorrow.”

Hop’s shoulders sunk, but he nodded nonetheless. “Alright--I’m going to hold you to that one, mate!” The energy returned to his eyes as quickly as it had disappeared. “And once we do--then we can get an endorsement and take on the Gym Challenge!”

“Whoa whoa  _ whoa, _ hold on, Hop!” Gloria’s brow was low, her own eyes filled with concern. “Yer not serious, are ye?  _ The _ Gym Challenge? I know we always talked about it, but--”

“‘But’ nothing, Gloria! We’ve been planning this for years, and now it’s finally happening!” His lips quirked into a frown, his expression turning pleading. “Come on, Gloria! Now’s one of the best times we can do it! The signups are soon, we both have Pokémon now--it’s perfect!”

“Hold on, you two want to take on the Gym Challenge?” Leon finally seemed to have found his words, and he put his hands on his hips. “That’s not just something you can choose on a whim, you know.”

“Oh come  _ on, _ Lee! What makes us any different from the other kids in the region?” Hop huffed, his frustration bubbling up stronger. “Give us a chance, Lee--let us prove that we can take on the Gym Challenge!” Hop blinked, and one could almost see the lightbulb turning on above his head. “Watch our battle tomorrow! We’ll show you that we can handle any challenge!”

Gloria’s eyes steeled. “Yeah - let us show ye!” Hop was right. If they didn’t take this chance to do the Gym Challenge, then would they ever? Or would they keep just pushing it aside, always saying but never doing? This was the perfect opportunity.

Leon paused, then let out a defeated sigh. “Okay - how’s this? I need to visit Professor Magnolia past Wedgehurst tomorrow before I go back to my Champion duties. You two meet me there, and we’ll have a battle between you two. On your way there, bring along the Professor’s granddaughter, Sonia--she lives in the purple building in Wedgehurst. Then we’ll see. Maybe if it’s good enough, I’ll be the one to endorse you two!”

Of course--no one could participate in the Gym Challenge without an endorsement from any Galar League official. Gym Leaders and League staff were the most common givers, but an endorsement from the  _ Champion _ would be something else entirely.

Movement caught Leon’s eye, and he saw Grooky hiding behind the tree, shrinking into itself as it glanced back and forth at Scorbunny and Sobble--it was the only unclaimed Pokémon. Leon smiled and squatted down on the ground.

“And as for you, my little friend, how would you like to join my team? The rest of my team and I will take good care of you, promise. You’ll fit right in.”

Grooky’s eyes widened before it shrieked with delight and ran out from behind the tree, up Leon’s arm, and onto his shoulder. Grooky smiled as it nuzzled Leon’s cheek. 

\---

“The Gym Challenge, ay?”

Night fell over Postwick fast, and the moon peeked over the horizon by the time Gloria got home. Munchlax and Sobble instantly clicked, and Gloria’s ma spent most of the evening fawning and cooing over Sobble. As the clock ticked closer to midnight, Sobble and Munchlax both fell asleep in Munchlax’s bed, curled up next to each other and snoring quietly.

Her ma took a sip of her wine as Gloria sat (a bit awkwardly) next to her on the couch. It was only now that Gloria had decided to tell her ma about the end of the day’s happenings, and what tomorrow’s plans were. Her ma promptly got up, went to the kitchen, and came back with a glass of red wine.

After what felt like an eternity of silence, Gloria took a deep breath. “... Ma?”

Ma ran a hand through her hair and sighed. “Sorry, sweetie - I just… I knew this day was comin’. I just didn’t expect it so soon. Ye’ve been talking about doin’ the Gym Challenge for a couple of years now… I just worry.”

“Ma…” Gloria grabbed her ma’s hand and squeezed it reassuringly. “Nothin’s going to happen to me. It isn’t like I’m running around the region like a chicken with its head cut off. League staff are all around Galar for that reason, so that kids are safe.”

“I know, I know…” Her ma deflated, though she didn’t pull her hand away. In that moment, Gloria could see the ancient look in her mother’s eyes. “... I worry somethin’s going to happen to ye. Like--”

“--like Da?” Silence, thick and heavy, hung over them, until Gloria spoke again. “... What happened to Da isn’t going to happen to me. I promise.”

Another bout of silence, before her ma sighed again. “... If ye get an endorsement tomorrow, then I’ll let ye go. If ye can prove even to the Champion that ye can do it… then I’ll support ye all the way to finals.”

“Will  _ ye _ think I can do it?” Gloria met her mother’s eyes, her own flaring with determination. 

Her ma paused yet again, before smiling. “... I do.”

Gloria grinned in return before pulling her ma into a tight embrace. “Then that’s what matters.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm not fully happy w/ this chapter but i needed to get it Out, also my publication speed as you might have noticed is going to slow bc college


	5. Vibrancy

Marnie hadn’t been outside of Spikemuth in years.

Her eyes were glued to the window of the train, wide in awe at the mass expanse of grass before her. Winds brushed the fields, combing through the blades like locks of hair. Sometimes she would see herds of Wooloo or Miltank outside of colorful barns, grazing, before a Growlithe or a Herdier nipped at their heels to move them along. The sky stretched out to infinity, a gorgeous blue color, unlike the perpetual overcast clouds that hung over Spikemuth. The sun shined bright, and the light made the fields almost glow with how vibrant they were. There wasn’t color like this out in Spikemuth. Spikemuth had bright neon signs, with flashes of artificial pink and purple, not natural blues and greens. It was gorgeous.

Morpeko, standing on her lap, yawned and stretched before lying down and curling up into a ball. Marnie chuckled softly and lightly scratched Morpeko behind the ear.

“All this excitement makin’ you sleepy, Morpeko?” Morpeko chittered and rubbed up against her hand. “We’re almost there.”

Marnie wasn’t a traveler. She never had been. It wasn’t so much out of a lack of a want to do so, but more of a lack of opportunity. She remembered glimpses of her childhood--when Mum and Dad were still around, when Piers wasn’t so thin and frail, when Marnie smiled without effort--where she was out with her family, somewhere beautiful. She remembered it was the first time she had ever pet a Wooloo before, and she, being so young, had grabbed the poor thing’s wool coat and pulled on it. The memory was hazy, and she could only remember vague browns in the background, with a strip of white and blue overhead. 

But that all ended, quicker than she ever thought possible. Then, Piers became busy with running the Gym, and he grew too exhausted to go out on outings like they used to. Not that Marnie blamed him; she was also just too tired to do much of anything. (Really, it was a bit of a miracle that she even had enough energy to go take on the Gym Challenge. But she refused to let the fatigue of her body and mind stop her from this!) As a result, Marnie never really left Spikemuth or Route 9. Seeing the rest of what the Galar region had to offer, in-person, already made going on her own so, so worth it.

The feeling of wonder slowly faded, though, and was swiftly replaced with confusion as she felt the train lurch. They were stopping? Why? There was  _ no _ way that they had gotten to Motostoke yet.

The speakers up at the corners of the train car crackled. “ _ Attention passengers, we’re experiencing delays due to a Snorlax sleeping on the tracks. We are working to rectify this situation. We apologize for any delays this may cause.” _

Marnie groaned. “Oh, are you kiddin’ me…?” She tossed her head back against the top of the seat while her hand rested on a sleeping Morpeko’s head. A nap sounded pretty good right about now, actually.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know this is rather Short but i wanted to write a quick chapter of Marnie to develop her a bit more!! and ibr i'm still trying to figure out how i want to do these next few parts, so here's a lil something for y'all in the meantime, thank u for your patience


	6. Battle

Leon had to admit: he was very impressed by Gloria Kellie and Hop Addison.

“Wooloo, use Tackle!”

“Look out, Sobble! Hit ‘im back with a Water Gun!”

The group--Gloria, Hop, Leon, Sonia, and Professor Magnolia--were outside in the bright afternoon sun in front of the Professor’s house, standing on the Professor’s battlefield.

Wooloo rolled forward at a surprisingly high velocity and slammed directly into Sobble, but Sobble, teary-eyed, stood its ground. Water sprayed from its mouth and pushed Wooloo back, soaking its fur and weighing it down. As Wooloo struggled to stand, Sobble raced up to it and slammed its foot into Wooloo’s side, knocking it back. Wooloo did not get up.

Hop gasped and knelt down to check on Wooloo. It baa’ed weakly, and Hop smiled and patted its head before returning it to its Pokeball.

“Alright, mate--you got one of my team down, but you can’t last forever!” The loss only served to ignite the fire within Hop even more, and he sent out a Rookidee to face off.

Gloria, leaning on her good leg (and a bit too much on her cane, seemingly too in the moment to realize it), grinned wide and pumped a fist in the air. “Yer doin’ great, Sobble! We’ve got this!”

Leon watched, enraptured by the ferocity and passion that the two young Trainers had as they battled. Already he could see the types of Trainers they would be: Hop was the type of Trainer to put his all into it, who feels the trials and hardships of his Pokemon, feels their joy and happiness as though they were his own. Highs were high, and lows were low; Hop felt it all strongly. Gloria, however, was a bit more detached from her Pokemon, but only in battle. Her strategy was attack, attack, attack, with the goal of knocking out the opponent before they could land a hit. (It wasn’t exactly the worst strategy, but the moment she met an opponent faster than her team…)

Really, Leon could hardly believe that this was the same Hop and Gloria that he remembered from all those years ago. Little Hop, with his Wooloo partner who he barely stood taller than, and Gloria, always pushing up on her little walker to try and pet it. He remembered Hop sending Wooloo to Gloria’s house when she wasn’t feeling well to cheer her up (and Wooloo would then return with a thank-you note and a finely-brushed coat). He remembered Gloria wanting to draw a picture of Hop and his family for his birthday, and her shoving crayons in Leon’s face to try and figure out what color their hair was. When Leon became Champion, he saw less and less of them, but even as they grew older, their bond never weakened.

But standing before Leon now were not the toddlers that Leon remembered so vividly; no, these were two young teens ready to take on the world with their Pokemon. They had strength, will, drive--everything they needed to start their journeys.

Hop’s Scorbunny shot an array of flames at Sobble, but through its tears, it managed to hose down Scorbunny with a Water Gun. Scorbunny hit the ground, and Hop thanked it before scooping it up in his arms. Leon saw a flicker of pain in Hop’s eyes, but he blinked, and it was gone. Hm. Maybe he just imagined that.

“That was incredible, you two!” Leon grinned and applauded the two. Sobble rushed over to Gloria, who (after readjusting herself to stand properly) cradled it in her arm and hugged it close. On top of their strong senses, both Gloria and Hop clearly cared very much about their Pokemon. They had the perfect foundations laid out for becoming strong Trainers.

… That didn’t mean he still didn’t have reservations, though. Hop was arrogant; Gloria was reckless. One day, Hop was going to say something to someone and get his ass pounded into the dirt. One day, Gloria was going to dive headfirst into something without knowing everything nor caring to know, and she’d get seriously hurt. They were young and inexperienced, and as amazing as the world was, it was also unforgiving.

Leon yelped and stumbled when something sharply hit the side of his knee, and Professor Magnolia, who had been watching with him, glared at him. Seemed that she picked up on Leon’s hesitation.

“Leon.” Oh, god, here came the lecture. “Aren’t you always saying that you want everyone in this region to become strong enough to face you in a match? To reach for the championship?”

Leon gulped. “... Yes?”

“I understand that you’re worried about them.” Magnolia’s voice lowers, and her old eyes flicker towards the children, who were excitedly chattering to each other about their match while healing up their Pokemon. “But you were their age once. You know about the desire to go on the Gym Challenge. Just as you shouldn’t let your biases get in the way of how they progress, you shouldn’t let them get in the way of them even starting.”

“They remind me of us when we were younger, Leon.” Sonia, who had also been watching, smiled fondly. “But Gran’s right. Hypocrisy doesn’t look good on you, you know.” (Leon swore he saw the faintest glimmer of… something in Sonia’s eyes. Bitterness? No, why would Sonia be bitter? Maybe he just kept seeing things.)

Leon sighed, and he smiled in return. “I suppose you’re right. ‘Practice what I preach,’ right?”

He stepped up to the two young Trainers and pulled out two sealed envelopes from his bag.

\---

“Do you have everythin’, Gloria? Clothes, toothbrush, phone--?”

“Yes, ma, I’ve got everythin’ I need.”

“I’m jus’ making sure!”

Laurie Kellie couldn’t help her worry. This was her baby--her first and only child--going off on her journey. Laurie knew it was inevitable, of course, but that didn’t make the moment any less painful and stress-inducing. Gloria’s father’s Munchlax slipped an extra apple into Gloria’s bag before she zipped it up, and Gloria (a bit misty-eyed) leaned over to pick up Munchlax and hug it tight.

(Laurie knew that Gloria’s father Faust would have done the same; Gloria was not only hugging Munchlax but also her father in that moment. Laurie’s heart ached knowing that Faust was going to miss seeing his daughter off. He’d give anything to see that…

Oh. When did her vision get so blurred?)

Gloria, noticing her mother’s tears, carefully wrapped her arms around her mother in a tight embrace. Laurie held her daughter close, a hand on the back of her head as tears rolled down her cheeks.

“... I’m goin’ ta miss ye, sweetie.”

Gloria took a breath. “I’m goin’ ta miss ye too, ma.” She couldn’t hide the waver in her voice.

Laurie somehow managed a small smile. “Get out there an’ kick some ass.”

Gloria laughed, and she broke the embrace before grinning up at Laurie. “Ye didn’t even need ta say so.” There was such a bright fire in her dark eyes, a determined flame that Laurie knew was going to carry her far.

Still, her voice softened, and she wiped her face with her hand. “... Are ye goin’ ta visit yer da in Hammerlocke?”

Gloria nodded without a second’s pause. “Of course.”

“Send him my love, would ye, sweetie?”

Gloria’s own expression warmed, and she nodded again. “Don’t ye worry, ma. I'll let da know. I’ll send his love right back.”

“Thank ye. Oh--one more thing.” Laurie gently pressed her lips to Gloria’s forehead. “A kiss--fer luck.”

Gloria giggled and smiled, her spirits reignited. “Thanks, ma.” She turned her head to Lucy, who had been picking up Gloria’s things in one of her arms. “Ready, girl?” With a grunt and a smile, Lucy picked up Gloria and headed towards the door.

Gloria twisted around to look over Lucy’s shoulder, and she waved. “Next time ye see me, I’ll be on TV for the whole world to see!”

Laurie laughed and waved back. “I’ll be watching!”

Lucy closed the door behind her, and Laurie’s baby was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "sakra where the fuck have you been" lack of inspiration/motivation + admittedly boring/slow bits of the story + school/world stuff = AAAAAAAAA  
> sorry this chapter isn't really that Good but I hope now to jump ahead a little and move on to the more interesting stuff, especially the wild area  
> thank y'all for bearing with me i appreciate it <3


	7. Something Wild

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "sakra holy shit what the fuck you're still writing this"  
> the hyperfixation has returned full force (and i'm also motivated by spite for unrelated reasons)  
> anyway this one is Short my apologies but i'm definitely gonna try to get back into the swing  
> this is where the story is gonna start turning sort of into character snapshots than a shot-by-shot retelling which will be MUCH better for my motivation  
> so hears hoping

The Wild Area was gorgeous.

Hop’s eyes couldn’t go any wider, but he wished they could, just so he could be able to fully take in everything around him. Ancient trees rooted deep in the ground reached up tall, vibrant green leaves gently swaying in the wind. Sunlight dotted the grass below. The hills seemed to stretch on for miles, and the ground sloped to encircle a sparkling lake beside the long brick walls holding Motostoke. The air was perfect, with no humidity and a slight breeze. Duos or trios of Metapod crawled around, hidden away in the knee-high grass. Combee lazily floated by, and Hop swore he caught sight of a Vespiquen between the trees. Minccino darted above in the trees’ branches, and a couple Tyrogue chased each other around the trunks.

He had never really been out of the general Postwick-Wedgehurst area. Of course he had gone with his mum to Motostoke and Wyndon to watch Leon’s matches, but Hop was only about three or four when that happened. The most he remembered of those times were blurry, bright lights, and some hazy splotches of red and white. So as far as he was concerned, he had never been farther north than the Professor’s house outside Wedgehurst. Seeing the Wild Area, with his own eyes and not through the camera lens of some stranger online, made him shake and bounce with excitement. 

Eyes were glued to his Pokedex as he tried to log every Pokemon he came across. He wanted to know everything; which Pokemon were where, what types they were, what they evolved into. Granted, he didn't have much, as money was rather scarce for him at that moment. A few Pokeballs, a few Potions, some packets of curry--that was the most that his funds could really spare at the moment. (Or maybe he was being too stingy with his money? Was this what adult life was like, with a constant worry over how much money you have and how much you can spend? Hop was suddenly glad he decided against impulse-buying that cool red jacket from Wedgehurst, or he would be  _ really _ beating himself up over his finances by now.)

... What was he thinking about?

Oh! Right! The Pokedex. Most of the Dex entries remained blank for now, as Hop didn't have money for many Pokeballs. Besides, he had half a team already--he would be fine! But there was still that  _ itch. _ That burning desire to know more, to discover new things. Maybe he was just  _ really _ excited to start his Gym Challenge, to fulfill what had been his dream all of his young life. Excited to do everything, see everywhere, catch anything he could.

But Hop couldn't help but think whenever he looked at the various Pokemon as he walked down the side of Lake Axewell. Some Oddish hopped alongside a mother Vileplume, and he wondered what kind of powerful pollen comes from that flower. A Pancham munched on grass, and Hop wondered what type of grass it eats. Frillish waded through the water, and Hop wondered how exactly it got its Ghost-typing.

... Hop shook his head, lightly slapped his face a bit. Small things, he told himself. He was always wondering about small things. Small things that didn't matter.  _ Niche, _ his mum had said to him once. He loved talking about niche details that were maybe cool to know but weren't really helpful overall.

(At least, that was what he was always told by others.)

Right. Motostoke. That was where he needed to go. Get to registration, get this journey started for real.

He'd get to the Championship in no time.


	8. Spotlight

"People of Galar!"

When Chairman of the League Aedan Rose stepped out onto the battlefield, the crowd exploded in cheers and applause. His vice president and assistant, Oleana Prescott, followed diligently after him. The two of them stopped in the center, and Rose spread his arms before speaking.

Every year, the same speech. And every year, the same energy. The opening ceremony of the Galar Gym Challenge was always so full of excitement and anticipation, and the desire to see who would get through all eight gyms to the championship tournament.

Eight Gyms, eight badges, eight weeks. By the middle of summer, all those who collected the eight badges of Galar would meet in Wyndon for the championship tournament. There it would be decided if anyone could steal the title of Champion from its current holder--which, considering the past decade had just been Leon defending his title, no one really had much hope for.

"And now--let's meet our Gym Leaders!"

As rehearsed and performed so many times before, the Galarian Gym Leaders each stepped forth onto the field, in their respective challenge order. By their sides were their aces, their partner Pokemon.

Milo of Turffield, the Grass-type Gym Leader, met with warm applause from the audience that he gave friendly waves to in return. Next to him walks his Appletun, its apple head glowing with health and its pie-shaped back a beautiful golden brown.

Nessa of Hulbury, the Water-type Gym Leader, met with cheers and a couple wolf whistles, which she ignored. She blew a couple kisses toward the crowd, while her Drednaw marched across the field. Its shell looked slick and shiny; clearly it had just been in the water.

Kabu of Motostoke, the Fire-type Gym Leader, met with respectful applause as he kept his eyes forward. Each step taken was rigid and deliberate, a product of decades of discipline. Even his Centiskorch held itself up just so, with the same amount of control as its trainer.

Allister of Stow-on-Side, the Ghost-type Gym Leader, who dragged himself across the field like a ghost and nervously glanced at the cheering crowd. Some chatter started in the crowd about where his partner was--until there was a shriek from the audience as a Gengar materialized over a woman's head. Cackling, it teleported again to be by Allister's side.

Opal of Ballonlea, the Fairy-type Gym Leader, met with the same respect as Kabu. Despite her age, she walked with the same grace and style she had so many years ago, and her Alcremie walked with the same poise.

Melony of Circhester, the Ice-type Gym Leader, who smiles and waves politely at the audience. Though a Frosmoth flutters next to her, most already know her ace as her Lapras. But a Lapras can't really walk on a field.

(... A noticeable gap. Silence. No one.)

Raihan of Hammerlocke, the Dragon-type Gym Leader, met with uproarious hollers from the audience. He blatantly snapped selfies with his Rotom phone, and more than once did his Daruladon sneak into the photos (which Raihan gladly welcomed).

Chairman Rose smiled and gestured to all the Gym Leaders once they were lined up on the field, with one last round of applause in response.

"Now--I would like to introduce to you our challengers!"

The number of challengers was on the higher side this year--20 new competitors onto the scene. Each stood in line across from the Gym Leaders with their own 'aces' at their sides. The announcer called each one in turn, everyone met with their own amount of applause.

Four in particular stand at the very end of the row.

Hop Addison of Postwick, number 189, grinning wide with confident eyes. Scorbunny chirped and bounced around him.

Bede Ryland of Unova's Castelia City, number 908, smirking and brushing his unruly curls back behind an ear. His Hatenna stayed pressed to his leg, looking around the stadium in hesitant curiosity.

Marnie Thornton of Spikemuth, number 960, blank-faced and casual. Her Morpeko was much more energetic, bouncing around Marnie's feet and squeaking happily.

And at the very end of the line (with Lucy standing by the field entrance in case anything happened), Gloria Kellie of Postwick, number 534, her eyes flaring with determination and her grin confident. Sobble sits on her shoulder, looking at the crowd and bright lights in awe.

(There are the faintest whispers among the crowd at the names 'Thornton' and 'Kellie,' especially one right after the other. What were the chances that those two in particular would be competitors in the same Gym Challenge?)

"And now, it is my great pleasure to say...  _ Let the Galar Gym Challenge BEGIN!" _

\---

Marnie was glad that the League would pay for challengers' hotel accommodations. At least it would always guarantee a safe place to sleep in a new town.

The Budew Drop Inn was a cute little place, something clean and welcoming. But there was something... artificial to its cleanliness that put Marnie on-edge. (Or maybe she was just so used to the dirt of Spikemuth that any place  _ this _ clean just seemed unreal to her.)

She stopped when she stepped through the door, her eyes immediately set on the golden statue between the stairs. A statue of twin brothers, one holding a shield and the other holding a sword to the sky: the twin princes of Galar. (It was an old fairytale that Marnie knew by heart now; probably every child in Galar did.) Right, she remembered that she read about that--every town in Galar was getting one of these statues built. A bit strange, but perhaps Chairman Rose simply wanted to honor the first rulers of Galar. (Or maybe, and more likely, it was funded by the Royal Family for pure nepotism.)

"Oi, we don't want to hear anythin' from you!"

"Not after what  _ he _ did!"

Oh, goddammit.  Those voices were familiar. Marnie rushed up the stairs to see familiar flairs of black, white, and hot pink, all ganging up on a particular girl. Sweater over a pink dress, a green bonnet, a metal cane. She looked visibly uncomfortable being surrounded by 'Team Yell,' as they took to calling themselves, and though she remained stoic, the guilt in her eyes was obvious. A boy with blue hair and gold eyes stepped in front of her, teeth bared.

"Leave her alone! None of that was  _ her _ fault!"

"But she's  _ his _ daughter!" One of the grunts shoved his nose in the other's face, snarling. "If it weren't for him, maybe we'd still have our Gym Leader!"

"That's no excuse to blame Gloria for it!"

"She's a  _ Kellie!" _

_ "OI! You lot!" _

Marnie had had quite enough of this display. Eyes were icy as they swept over the Spikemuth Gym's trainers, and all of them jumped in surprise.

"M--Marnie!" Just as quickly, they wilted, with looks akin to scolded puppies. The leader scratched the back of his neck. "We, uh - we was just--"

"Leaving. Right?" Marnie jerks her head toward the door. "You leave the other Gym Challengers alone. It's not a fair win if you just decide to sleep-deprive the competition. And I better not see you given' this girl a hard time again, y'hear?"

The Gym Trainers mumbled a "Yes, Marnie" before shuffling towards the door. Marnie shook her head and approached the other girl.

"Sorry 'bout them. They're just a bunch of my fans."  _ And the people I grew up around. _ "Call themselves Team Yell, and follow me around, cheerin' for me. But that shouldn't mean that they harass you like that."

Gloria nervously smiled at Marnie. "A-ah - it's not a problem, really..."

Hop crossed his arms and grumbled, "I'd call talking to you like  _ that _ a problem..."

"Anyway, uh, thanks for callin' them off, though. You're... Marnie, right?"

A nod, and a tiny smile. "Yes. And you're Gloria Kellie?"

Gloria swallowed. "Y-yeah, that's me."

"I guess we'll be rivals now, huh?" Mischief glimmered in Marnie's eyes. "I'd wish you luck, but I'm afraid I'll be the one to win."

Gloria blinked once, twice, in confusion, before a spark of determination lit up her eyes again. "We'll see about that, won't we?"

A small giggle from Marnie. "I guess we will."

She walked past the two of them to the counter, Morpeko following behind.  _ Gloria seems nice, _ she thought. But as annoyed as she was towards her little fanclub, she supposed she could understand where their anger toward Gloria was coming from. So many years of pent-up rage and grief with nowhere to go finally had a target, even though she was free of any crimes herself.

After all, Gloria's father was the reason that both of Marnie's parents were dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so fun fact, assuming i did the goroawase correctly (which i probably didn't let's be real) gloria's number Does mean something  
> “ko” (5) “mi” (3) “yo” (4) = “komyo” (534) = “glory”
> 
> also on GOD next chapter will be a bede chapter i wanna write my trash son


	9. Question

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for talk of emotional abuse in the first half!

Bede did not particularly enjoy getting his hands dirty. Having to dig around in the dusty old mines by  _ hand _ was  _ torturous. _ God, if anyone saw him now. 'Did you see Challenger Bede in one of the mines?' 'Yes, he was on his hands and knees playing in the mud! What a child!'

At least the mines were relatively empty that late at night. Most challengers had set up camp by now, with the mines a task slated for the next day. But not him. No, if the new challengers were going to pass through the mines, he had to pick up as many of the obvious Wishing Stars as he could. Really, he's grateful he did--he was in the realm of 20-plus Wishing Stars found, and there was still another part of the mines he wanted to check before resting.

A chirp from behind, and Hatenna hopped toward him, carrying a Wishing Star on her head. Solosis and Gothita followed, each carrying a Wishing Star of their own (well, levitating one, in Solosis' case). A soft smile tugged at Bede's lips (a rare sight indeed!) as he took the Stars from each of them and gave a round of pats to their heads.

"Good work, you three. Haven't seen anyone else, have you?" The three Pokemon shook their heads. "Good. There's still another area to check, and then we'll rest for the night." Though his Pokemon looked exhausted, they each gave a cry of affirmation before scurrying off again. And, unfortunately, Bede went back to sifting through the rocks.

... He admittedly wasn't too sure what the Chairman wanted with all these Wishing Stars. Bede just knew he needed them. They were related to the impending energy crisis, he was told. Then it had to be helping Galar from running out of energy, right? It was obvious in higher-tech places like Motostoke and Hammerlocke. Sometimes the levers and gears would jam; stores would get sudden power outages and need backup generators; more efforts were being made to create technology that wouldn't eat up as much electricity.

Galar was going to be facing a region-wide energy crisis, and soon. The energy of the Power Spots was starting to run dry.

That's where Bede came in, he was told. He needed to take the Gym Challenge and go around the region to collect Wishing Stars, those little reactive stones that allow people to Dynamax their Pokemon. He needed to collect as many of them as he possibly could, and then take the Champion title for himself. Should he do that, the entire region would be under his control. Then, and only then, could they save Galar. They would use the Wishing Stars to save Galar, and whether they could or not rested on Bede's shoulders.

... That was what he was told, anyway.

What did they need all of these Wishing Stars for, anyway? Sure, they were powerful, but by themselves, they did nothing. They needed energy.  _ Which was kind of the problem. _ Did the Chairman have some type of plan for this? Was there some new technology that utilized Wishing Stars that could help with the energy crisis?

He knew he wasn't supposed to question the Chairman's decisions. Oleana would get upset any time he did. He had to be  _ loyal _ to the Chairman, had to be able to listen to him, to follow him anywhere, she always told him. The Chairman only recognizes his best, and if Bede wasn't up to the task, then the Chairman would never recognize him. So he had to be the best. He had to trust the Chairman.

... But something about this was just so  _ strange _ to him.

\---

It was an early morning the next day to get ahead of any of the other Challengers. Unfortunately, that day's haul of Wishing Stars was not nearly as plentiful as the previous day's. No matter. Seemed he bled that mine of any of its Wishing Stars (that he could reach with what he had, at least, which was... not much.)

Dusting off his hands, satisfied, Bede began to walk toward the exit...

... but stopped upon hearing something clanging behind him on the rock. Someone, walking.  


He turned. His blood boiled.

"You."

She came to a stop and looked at him curiously. "Eh? Sorry - don't think we've met?"

It was her. The girl with the bonnet and the cane. A service Machamp followed closely behind.

Bede tilted his head, a smirk tugging at his lips. "What, don't even recognize your competition?"

"Compe..." Gloria Kellie scrunched her brow. "Ah, were ye one of the other Gym Challengers?"

The smirk was gone, replaced by a look of pure confusion. "Do you  _ honestly _ not remember who was at yesterday's ceremony?"

"Mate, if I'm being honest, I barely remember a damn thing from yesterday, let alone who was there besides me an' Hop."

A roll of his eyes. "Whatever. You're one of the two endorsed by the Champion."  _ The Chairman hasn't shut up about you two. _

A slow blink. "... Yep."

" _ Maybe _ you'll start catching up to me, then."

"... Who the hell are you?"

He brushed back his curls with a flair. "Bede Ryland. I've been endorsed by the Chairman himself."

Gloria's eyes widened. "Oh! Yes, I think I remember hearin' yer name. Didn't know ye were endorsed by Rose, though. Well - I'm--"

"I know who you are, Gloria Kellie." Bede took a Pokeball from his belt and tossed it in his hand. "What say we have a little battle, hm? See who made the better pick."

Gloria raised an eyebrow, shaking her head a little. "Whoa, whoa, ye want a fight  _ right now?" _

"Isn't that part of the Pokemon Trainer experience? To be ready to battle at any time?"

" _ Listen, _ mate, I just went through this entire mine  _ by myself, _ can this just - wait a li'l while? I'm exhausted."

_ And I'M exhausted from having to hunt Wishing Stars all morning, but you don't see ME complaining. _ "Oh, I didn't realize you were a  _ coward. _ Perhaps the Champion ought to rethink that endorsement."

Suddenly her dark eyes were alight, her lip curled in a snarl and her hand on a Pokeball of her own. "Ye got a lot of  _ fuckin' nerve _ callin' me a coward, Bede! Okay,  _ fine, _ you wanna fight?!" 

Gloria threw the ball out in front of her, and a Steenee popped out from it.

"Then  _ let's fight!" _


End file.
